Todd Witsken

Todd Witsken
Country (sports)  United States
Born (1963-11-04)November 4, 1963
Indianapolis, Indiana
Died May 25, 1998(1998-05-25) (aged 34)
Zionsville, Indiana
Turned pro 1985
Retired 1993
Plays Right-handed (1-handed backhand)
College University of Southern California
Prize money $1,420,910
Singles
Career record 115–135
Career titles 0
Highest ranking No. 43 (November 13, 1989)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open QF (1988)
French Open 2R (1988, 1989)
Wimbledon 2R (1986, 1989)
US Open 4R (1986)
Doubles
Career record 222–148
Career titles 12
Highest ranking No. 4 (August 29, 1988)

Todd Witsken (November 4, 1963 – May 25, 1998) was an American tennis player. He specialized in playing doubles and began his professional career in 1985. He was a three-time all-American at the University of Southern California. His career-high rankings were World No. 43 in singles and No. 4 in doubles.[1] Witsken retired just before the 1993 US Open and died from brain cancer on May 25, 1998, at the age of 34.[1]

Witsken's biggest singles win was at the 1986 US Open, where he beat 5-time US Open champion, Jimmy Connors, 6-2, 6-4, 7-5, in their third round match. It was the first time since 1973 that Connors had failed to reach the US Open semi finals.

In 1989 he lost to Greg Holmes 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(5), 4-6, 14-12 in the second round at Wimbledon, a match that was the longest Men's singles match at Wimbledon, timed at 5 hours 28 minutes, until the epic Isner-Mahut match in 2010.

He was one of eight children born to Marilyn and Henry Witsken. His hometown was Carmel, Indiana, where he left behind four children.

ATP Tour finals

Legend
Grand Slam (0)
Tennis Masters Cup (0)
ATP Masters Series (2)
ATP International Series Gold (0)
ATP Tour (10)

Doubles (12 titles, 9 runner-ups)

Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Runner-up 1. October 4, 1987 San Francisco, USA Carpet (i) United States Glenn Layendecker United States Jim Grabb
United States Patrick McEnroe
2–6, 6–0, 4–6
Runner-up 2. March 6, 1988 Indian Wells, USA Hard Mexico Jorge Lozano Germany Boris Becker
France Guy Forget
4–6, 4–6
Runner-up 3. May 1, 1988 Charleston, USA Clay Mexico Jorge Lozano South Africa Pieter Aldrich
South Africa Danie Visser
6–7, 3–6
Winner 1. May 8, 1988 Forest Hills, USA Clay Mexico Jorge Lozano South Africa Pieter Aldrich
South Africa Danie Visser
6–3, 7–6
Winner 2. May 15, 1988 Rome, Italy Clay Mexico Jorge Lozano Sweden Anders Järryd
Czech Republic Tomáš Šmíd
6–3, 6–3
Winner 3. July 10, 1988 Boston, USA Clay Mexico Jorge Lozano Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Bruno Orešar
Peru Jaime Yzaga
6–2, 7–5
Runner-up 4. July 24, 1988 Washington, USA Hard Mexico Jorge Lozano United States Rick Leach
United States Jim Pugh
3–6, 7–6, 2–6
Winner 4. July 31, 1988 Stratton Mountain, USA Hard Mexico Jorge Lozano South Africa Pieter Aldrich
South Africa Danie Visser
6–3, 7–6
Runner-up 5. November 27, 1988 Itaparica, Brazil Hard Mexico Jorge Lozano Spain Sergio Casal
Spain Emilio Sánchez
6–7, 6–7
Winner 5. April 16, 1989 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Carpet (i) Mexico Jorge Lozano United States Patrick McEnroe
United States Tim Wilkison
2–6, 6–4, 6–4
Winner 6. July 16, 1989 Gstaad, Switzerland Clay Brazil Cassio Motta Czech Republic Petr Korda
Czech Republic Milan Šrejber
6–4, 6–3
Winner 7. August 20, 1989 Montreal, Canada Hard New Zealand Kelly Evernden United States Charles Beckman
United States Shelby Cannon
6–3, 6–3
Winner 8. November 12, 1989 Stockholm, Sweden Carpet (i) Mexico Jorge Lozano United States Rick Leach
United States Jim Pugh
6–3, 5–7, 6–3
Runner-up 6. November 26, 1989 Itaparica, Brazil Hard Mexico Jorge Lozano United States Rick Leach
United States Jim Pugh
2–6, 6–7
Runner-up 7. July 22, 1990 Washington, USA Hard Mexico Jorge Lozano Canada Grant Connell
Canada Glenn Michibata
3–6, 7–6, 2–6
Runner-up 8. October 21, 1990 Vienna, Austria Carpet (i) Mexico Jorge Lozano Germany Udo Riglewski
Germany Michael Stich
4–6, 4–6
Winner 9. April 7, 1991 Hong Kong Hard United States Patrick Galbraith Canada Glenn Michibata
United States Robert Van't Hof
6–2, 6–4
Winner 10. May 5, 1991 Munich, Germany Clay United States Patrick Galbraith Sweden Anders Järryd
South Africa Danie Visser
7–5, 6–4
Winner 11. July 28, 1991 Montreal, Canada Hard United States Patrick Galbraith Canada Grant Connell
Canada Glenn Michibata
6–4, 3–6, 6–1
Winner 12. March 22, 1992 Key Biscayne, USA Hard United States Ken Flach United States Kent Kinnear
United States Sven Salumaa
6–4, 6–3
Runner-up 9. July 19, 1992 Washington, USA Hard United States Ken Flach United States Bret Garnett
United States Jared Palmer
2–6, 3–6

Singles finals (1)

Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Runner-up 1. February 11, 1990 San Francisco, USA Carpet (i) United States Andre Agassi 1–6, 3–6

References

  1. 1 2 "Todd Witsken, 34, Champion in Tennis Doubles". New york Times. May 27, 1998. Retrieved March 21, 2008.


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